Conventional practice is to design a radio transceiver targeted to a particular standard. For example, a radio transceiver to be used in a device that operates using the Bluetooth™ communication protocol is typically sized and customized to the Bluetooth protocol, while a transceiver configured to operate in accordance with a wireless telephone communication standard is sized and customized for operation with the communication standard. Generally the same can be said for radio transceivers designed for use in devices that operate using the IEEE 802.11 communication protocol.
Historically, a user that is interested in communicating in particular systems operates a distinct device dedicated to each of the communication protocols. The user is required to have multiple devices, with each device limited to communicating over a particular communication system using a particular communication protocol.
However, there is a trend in many applications that a communication device operates multiple communication protocol technologies, or operates multiple instances of the same communication protocol technology. Communication devices are continually shrinking in physical size and simultaneously increasing the ability to communicate over multiple communication systems each having a corresponding communication protocol. A multi-mode communication device can be configured to support communications over a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) as well as communications over a wide area network, such as a wireless telephone network. For example, a multi-mode communication device such as a cellular telephone device may include IEEE 802.11 WLAN and Bluetooth functionality along with GSM functionality.
The term WLAN typically refers to a class of wireless communication technology that operates at a distance up to 100 meters, and WPAN is commonly used to refer to a class of wireless communication technology that operates up to a distance of 10 meters. For simplicity, when used herein, the term WLAN is meant to encompass at least systems operating in accordance with standards such as IEEE 802.11/DS, 802.11a, 802.11b, and 802.11g. The term WLAN should not be limited to these technologies as any other shorter-range wireless communication technology, particularly, but not limited to, those that do not require a license for operation by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in the United States (U.S.) and other similar unlicensed bands outside of the U.S.
Wireless telephone networks can operate according to a variety of communication standards and corresponding communication protocols. Wireless telephone systems include, but are not limited to, those systems operating in accordance with GSM, GPRS, EDGE, AMPS, CDMA and WCDMA standards.
The desire to increase the inter-operability of a wireless device with multiple distinct communication systems complicates the efforts to shrink the physical size of the device. The multiple communication systems that are supported by a multi-mode wireless communication device are typically assigned to different frequency bands and can have different operating bandwidths and communication protocols. The desire to support multiple wireless communication systems in a single multi-mode device requires the device include the elements configured to support the communication system. However, the addition of elements to a device is contrary to the desire to minimize the physical size of the device. It is desirable to provide a multi-mode wireless device that supports multiple communication standards, but allows for a minimal physical size.